As of a few years ago, Simon and Dante had moved to the countryside of Montepulciano and made wine in their spare time. I tried to visit every summer, but obviously this past summer wasn’t spent there. I had told them I needed time after everything.
I looked over at the alarm clock on the side table and saw it wasn’t even eight in the morning. Fuck! I never worked a real job a day in my life but anything for Caleb.
What the hell did I get myself into though?
Also, what was I gonna wear?
I really hoped I didn’t botch this.
CHAPTER 16
Caleb
The air hada crisp bite to it as I pulled up to the school, early signs of fall creeping into town. I had to take Noelle shopping for warmer clothes. My mother offered to take her, but I tried to prioritize these moments with my child. Even if that meant shopping—it was a form of bonding at her age.
My truck engine rumbled loudly as I threw it into park, my gaze frantically scanning the pickup line. Guilt tightened its grip on my chest as I saw only a few kids left lingering by the curb with a teacher beside them.
Noelle stood there, chatting with her friend. I couldn’t remember the kid’s name for the life of me. The second Noelle saw me, she waved and jogged over. Her backpack was as big as she was.
“You’re late, Dad,” she announced, crossing her arms.
I checked the clock on the dash. “Ten minutes.”
She arched an eyebrow, her expression eerily similar to my mother’s when she was unimpressed. “Still late.”
“You’re relentless, kid.”
She grinned, climbing up into the truck like she owned the thing. The second her seat belt clicked, she launched into herdaily rundown—who did what, why math sucked, how long it took for her braids to fall out, and why the school lunch wasn’t as good as a packed one. I listened, adding in my occasional faux outrage when necessary, grinning when she paused for dramatic effect.
We rolled through town, passing The Grand with its overflowing flower boxes that Fiona insisted she would “get to.” I couldn’t help but think of Grace and how she agreed to help me at the bar tonight.
Grace hadn’t had a traditional job before. She was accustomed to a certain lifestyle, and while I couldn’t imagine her working at my bar, I appreciated the help. I also didn’t mind the idea that maybe by doing more in town, she might want to stay, to become used to this type of lifestyle. I looked over at my daughter and realized I really needed to introduce the both of them soon. One of my main holdups was that I was worried about Noelle and what she would think about me seeing somebody. Grace had become an important piece of my life, and it felt unfair to keep my kid in the dark about it. Not to mention, the town loved to gossip, and it was only a matter of time before she found out. Before I could come up with some sort of plan, Noelle broke me out of my thoughts.
“Can we get ice cream?” she asked as we hit a stop sign. “Youwerelate and it’s probably the last chance of the season before it’s too cold.”
I smirked, glancing over at her. “You don’t let anything go, do you?”
She beamed. “Nope.”
I sighed, flicking on my turn signal. “Fine, but only a small cup. Last thing you need is a sugar rush.”
She gasped. “That’s so unfair.”
I chuckled and pulled into the shop’s parking lot. She had me wrapped around her finger and we both knew it.
By the time I got to Bar, I was already behind schedule. My regulars were lingering outside, waiting for me to reopen after my hour break to pick up Noelle from school. Nicky was having a lot of personal issues and was out of town indefinitely. He had always been there for Bar and me. I couldn’t fault him for having an emergency.
Max, on the other hand, had been nothing but a headache. Don’t get me wrong, he was a good kid, but he also was trouble. I gave him grace so many times, but when he disrespected Nicky, his superior, there was no excuse for it.
But the debacle left me short-staffed and scrambling. On top of everything else, tonight was shaping up to be one of busiest nights in months. We had the teachers coming in for a back-to-school night gathering. Ms. Kenzie was holding interviews for another baker. Not to mention, the community college had a three-day weekend.
By the time Grace got to the bar, the place was buzzing.
“I’m so sorry!” she panted, her cheeks flushed from rushing.
I walked around the bar and gave her a hug before rubbing my hands up and down her arms to calm her.
“No worries. I figured you got caught up or changed your mind. Maybe hanging with your other guy,” I teased.
